My criteria for gettin sum is simple..closest drive, biggest bump and some wind. All needs met at MC. On a NW at MC i shoot for a drop in the wind, when the size peaks out and grows into form with less cross chop. Bingo.. level with the pier I see one of my favorite clearings clean and rippable.

While half the size of our surreal NW of 2012 couple weeks ago, I felt lost love for the outside. For the record, the elbo at the pier, creates a crap bounce and highly recommend getting away from it, but on the outside much down the beach. Sweet walls with bangin closeouts. Lighter winds just after the big blow can really shape em up out there too.

I guess everybody is different. To me the drive is irrelevant, you go where it is best, and it isn't always best close to home. For example the 2000 miles I have put on my car to ride Lake Superior and Point Betsie in the last 3 weeks have been worth the drive and then some, even with the extra bs included. To add, I wouldn't care if they were the cleanest biggest waves I had ever seen, if it is straight onshore and I intend to kite, in my opinion it is worth it to pack up and find a better direction. That is the luxury we have with our situation, just drive if you want a different angle.

thats coo.. funny thing for me is that now i have learned to compensate in ways i never could. For ex.. now on big onshore day i will lay the kite low and as its rising have a new found amount of time to circle in and out of a bottom/top turn to catch the kite as its almost falling back up the line. lots of time on the bigger ones made that tricky/scary but something i would never have considered years ago or had my timing not been down to pull it off. now its feeling full wrap like and legit if all goes well onshore or not.

dane reynolds was known for seeking out dumpy, unrespected cali surf that he accredits to his world class ranks too. slater and machhado came from less than perfect stomping grounds too. something to be said for our lake evolution and what we make of perfect?? hmm?

St. Joe was pretty good - about 30 degrees from being straight-onshore, 9-11 m for most people. Big monsters breaking at the end of the pier, and shooting water almost twice as high as the lighthouse there. The pier provided some degree of cover but further out there were some way-over-the-head surprises. I wouldn't call these waves clean but still plenty of fun and exercise. The wind stayed pretty steady into the afternoon.Not a big crowd at all on the water, perhaps 6-7 people max. Lots of enthusiastic onlookers though.

MC for a look then off to Miller for a short but satisfying ride. We followed the breeze falling off with a trip to Casino for some Sup'ing. Finally, we ended the day with some food and beers @ 3 Floyds with friends. Today was about as perfect as it gets.

And I thought you were on the KOOL-AID, Scotty....now I realize you are turning lemons into lemonade, nice postive spin, props to you!!!!!!!! Another one for you right out the back door coming your way today.....watchout Slater.......

Great seeing you at the beach Cory, been a while, we sure been missing you, come on back ya' hear. Heard 3 Floyds was crawling with kiters yesterday, gotta love the Gumballhead and Zombie Dust.......

West wrote:And I thought you were on the KOOL-AID, Scotty....now I realize you are turning lemons into lemonade, nice postive spin, props to you!!!!!!!!

Not every day can be a side shore 16 hour drive to pt betsey and maybe that thers sum bro speak for I shoulda made the DRIVE! haaa. NW brings in the biggins and thats where we crack it. cmon brohaa... youve creeped into baldy so lets get it!! Even t-dog made the drop. BTW.. today looks perfect sideon and no Drive!! heee.

Last edited by FSP on Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

St. Joe was the call...45 or better to shore at 7am and survived 3 sessions carvin and surfin the head highs to the shore. An outside monster even pulled my kite outta the sky and I had a nice swim in. Huge thanks to John Pavy for rescuing my board and kite! Midday I switched to my 14 and was LIT! Got in a couple more sessions until I was too damn tired to lift my legs to get my feet back in the straps. Ripped all day and I left at three thirty leaving two behind still kiting. My best day I have had since I started in March. Sore as hell this am but grinnin ear to ear....lets do it again!

Sounds like some folks had a fun day yesterday.I played my wedding gig in Detroit yesterday......now I'm ready for some left overs......hopefully the masses are sore from yesterday and I'll get my little wave pool all to myself.

Looking like el Norte visits this afternoon and evening.....my leftovers / rebate session....now I may have to try silver beach. More northIn the forecast today......she should clean right up and be pretty fun I'm hoping.

Waiting for it to get to my liking......hoping for a mid afternoon BUMP into the evening......sunset/moonrise session sounds nice right now.

Hope you got some sunday Eroc, looking good for a southwest over your way this week.........

I'm sure you tagged another one out there on your beach Scotty, sure is nice to rig up in your own yard, you're making the most of it, that's for sure. Maybe one of these days it'll happen for me, until then just gotta get La Negra (my lil Toyota truck) moving on down the road to sniff out the best conditions on the Big Lake......looks like its another roadtrip to Betsie with some SRV cranking away!!!!!!!!!!

Got some tasty leftovers yesterday at the home break in SoHa.A nice 12m day for me. Went from 3pm to 7pm. even got invited on a blueberry downwinder.

The waves were small but clean in my wave pool near the blue stairs. Much cleaner than on the DW. It was hard to find anything really rideable on the DW....a peak here and there but mostly bumpy unorganized wave junk due to the sea walls on the way down.....not the best lineup for waves on the blueberry....some of the sandbars were throwing down some quick one hitters.

It was nice to not have to point upwind for a change and great to be with my friends for a change....that's the best part. Due to my job I can't get out much. Im always coming from somewhere and have to be somewhere later. FreeTime is not something i have much of. When I do get a session I'm usually all by myself. So being able to ride with my buddies yesterday was the best part....those guys are getting good...even ol Jimbo....instead of,mowing the lawn all day he was actually cracking some little waves.....Ha. I wish I could have the time in life to do a 16 hour 3-5 day point Betsy trip, but I have so much to be accountable its agrivating at times......to have the fortune to do such a cool trip would be unreal.

I envy you guys who can do this.....keep charging it for me and the rest of us who lurk on this forum.

For me it's a good full day when I can get as much time on the water as it takes for me to get there. If it takes 1hr to drive to the beach....I hope to be out riding for at least 2 hours to make my personal quota. That's how I try to look at it.....more riding is much better for me personally than driving. I can go driving any day I want..I drive hundreds of miles per week playing music......I can only go kiting seldomly.